10 Questions with ... Bobby Holiday

NAME:Bobby Holiday TITLE:PD/Afternoon Personality STATION:WMXU (Mix 106) MARKET:Columbus-Starkville-West Point, MS COMPANY:Cumulus Broadcasting BORN:Chicago RAISED:Chicago

Please outline your radio career so far.

You're kidding, right? You want me to put down 20 years of radio? Okily dokily. Here ya go:

WQCY (99Q) - '86 to '91
WOWI (103 Jamz) - Summer '91
WQMG (Power 97) - '91 to '93
WAAA (980 Triple A) - Fall to Winter '93
WGCI (107.5) - '94
WMHG (Magic 108)/WKWM (AM 1140) - '94 to '95
WJFX (Foxy 107.9) - '95 to '96
WTMG (Magic 101.3) - '96 to '98
WPHI (Philly 103.9) - '98 to '01
KRNB (105.7) - '01 to '02
WTMP (AM 1150) - '02 to '03
WBTT (1055 The Beat) - '04 to '05
KKBT (100.3 The Beat) - '05 to '06
WMXU (Mix 106) - '07 to present

1) What was your first job in radio? Early influences?

My first job in radio I was a board op for WQCY (99Q) in Quincy, IL. I also would fix the carts (remember those?) so they would fire properly. From board op-ing I became a parttime announcer then a fulltime night personality. My early influences started in Chicago (back then the home of the greatest personality radio ever) when I used to listen to Mr. Thomas Elliot Joyner doing mornings on WJPC. I loved my man, Bobby O-OO-OOO'Jay, in the morning on AM 1390. When I got into FM it was Doug Banks on WBMX (102.7) Bob Wall and Harold Lee Rush Jr. on WGCI (Power 107.5) and my girl, Yvonne Daniels, on WGCI in the midday. I could go on forever talking about my early influences, but those four were what got me started what I'm doing now 20 years later.

2) What led you to a career in radio? Was there a defining moment that made you realize "this is it"?

My first influence to get into broadcasting was when I'd wake up early in the morning for school and watch TV while I got ready. There was this talk show that repeated early in the morning called "A.M. Chicago." The show was hosted by an unknown woman back then named Oprah Winfrey. She had just taken over that show, and she was going up against the King of Talk TV, Phil Donahue, and she whooped his ass! Watching her made me go, "I wanna do something like that." I went to college at Quincy University and started working for the college radio station, WWQC (90.3FM), and that is when I knew how much radio had influenced me growing up! That's when I abandoned the TV thang and concentrated on radio!

3) If you were just starting out in radio, knowing now what you didn't then, would you still do it?

God, yes. Entertaining listeners was a high for me. Now I want to motivate and inspire their day and be a positive influence to the up-and-coming air talents. A lot of people helped me, and it's my duty to give back and help the one's coming up after me.

4) Where do you see yourself and the industry five years from now? How do you feel about the PPM eventually replacing the diary?

In five years, it'll be my 25th anniversary in radio. I will either be winding down my career making a smooth transition into radio retirement or I'll be even stronger on the air and behind the scenes. Assuming the latter to be true, I will more than likely be programming somewhere in a small or medium market (maybe if I want to deal with the headaches a large market, but never a major market!). Plus, I know I will be acting a damn fool on someone's radio dial.

Until the PPM finds a way to sample better and include the African-American listener, I ain't in favor of the PPMs at this point in time. Once they fix that so that our Urban stations can get the true credit they deserve, I am not in favor of the PPM taking over!

5) How you feel about being made to wait on a record you hear until the research validates it?

If I'm forced to, then I have no other choice but to do it (but it doesn't mean I have to like it). I still believe, along with all the research that is out there, your gut is still a very viable weapon in hearing a hit. But if I'm made to wait on research, then I'll wait on research!

6) What is going to happen to the training of tomorrow's talent and programmers if the current trend continues? How do you feel about syndication and voicetracking?

If the current trend of not training tomorrow's air talents continues, then, as author Bernie Hayes's book is so eloquently titled, it will be "The Death Of Black Radio." Someone has to become the next Russ Parr, Marc Clarke, Tom Joyner, Frank Ski, Doug Banks, Big Boy or Wendy Williams. They won't be there if we don't make an effort to train them now.

My only problem with syndication is when it is used as a flimsy excuse to let talented air talents go so money can be saved. If your morning show is bringing in ratings and revenue, I was always taught that you kept your job! That's no longer the case. What are we to tell young air talents? Work hard, become the best at your craft, and if the company ain't making enough money we just might let you go? That's crazy to me.

Voicetracking is fine when air talents aren't being lazy when they do their voicetracked shows. Too many of these voicetracked shows are personalities being announcers and not workin' it. You rarely hear phones, they do the minimum of localization, and there's no life in how they sound. You still have to put in the work, even if it's a voicetrack show.

7) What adjustments do you anticipate having to make in your new position at WMXU?

What I need to make sure of is that we are a fun-sounding radio station! I want our listeners to enjoy listening to our station, and I want our on-air and promotions staff to enjoy working on our station. Also, I want our sales staff to enjoy selling out product. I mean, if were not having fun on the air, why the hell are we doing it? We can be miserable on a 9-to-5 job. Not radio. So, that's the first thing I want to make sure of is that we are having fun working on WMXU.

8) Of all the skills you have gained through the years, is there an area you'd like to improve?

I wish I were better at production. I should have spent more time in the production studio perfecting the skills that a Rick Party or Mitch Faulkner has. I can produce the hell out of a song parody. But production is one area where I'm decent and wish I were great.

9) How do you feel about callout research? Do you feel as a result of using it that Urban programmers are going to be slower in adding and playing new music?

Callout research is good and necessary in helping you pick the right songs for your station. All research is a guide -- a simple guide to helping you make your station sound better. How you break down and understand the data in front of you will separate the average PDs from the damn good ones. I think PDs will be about the same in adding new music because of the research. I still think you have to add your gut to the mix of research as well. Know your market, know your audience and know your music -- you will more often than not pick the right songs to satisfy your audience's music thirst.

10) As you look back over your career, any regrets? Missed opportunities?

While I was working at Philly 103.9, Jerry Rushin contacted me about doing nights for him at WEDR (99 Jamz). If he had been a little quicker in returning my calls, I would have loved rockin' the Miami mic for him! But my protégé, Big Lip Bandit, got the gig, and I ain't mad at that! Also, I was up for the WJLB/Detroit morning gig that MC Serch eventually obtained. (How did I lose out a gig to a white ex-rapper? I lost out to the guy that gave us "Pop Pop Goes Da Weasel.") I regret that my friend KJ Holiday didn't pull the trigger and hire me. But that's OK as well. Overall, I got no regrets with where my career is. I'm back on the air, and my radio column (on www.urbaninsite.com) is going strong. I am where I am supposed to be right now.

1) What's been your biggest disappointment in radio today?

My biggest disappointment with radio today is the disrespect that is shown to our veteran air talents. BJ Murphy, Olivia Fox and CJ Morgan losing their jobs because it's cheaper to have on a syndicated morning show is reprehensible and despicable. Tell me those folks' ratings were low and the revenue was terrible and you replaced them. Fine! I can deal with that. But to replace them to save you money is just utter nonsense. Can you tell I'm pissed?

2) What's the best piece of advice anyone's ever given you? The worst?

Best advice was from Steve Crumbley, back when he was the PD for WOWI (103 Jamz), who chewed me out in an aircheck session because I "watered down a joke on the air." He knew I'd done it and told me to "give my audience a lil' more credit than that." He told me to "be the person that you are" on the air. It was the beginning of me going from being an average personality to a good one.

Worst advice came from a guy (I won't mention his name) who said I'd never make it in a major market "because of my voice." I guess this guy has never heard of Doug Banks, who doesn't have a traditional radio voice but has somehow found work in major markets. A year after the guy said that, I was hired to do afternoons at Philly 103.9 in Philadelphia.

3) What is the one promotion you've done that you enjoyed more than any other?

In '99 living on a TGI Friday's rooftop until the Philadelphia Eagles football team one a regular-season game was the greatest promotion I've done to date. All the local TV stations covered it, and I was live most of the time on their TV coverage. I was doing afternoons then, and it was the most interesting 20 days and 19 nights of my life (and, yes, I stayed up there every damned day and night).

4) What is one thing most people don't know about Bobby Holiday that might surprise them?

Behind the bravado I'm an emotional pussycat. If a good acting scene comes on, a tear will well up. If a good singer is sangin' the hell out of a song, a tear will well up. One of my good friends told me she has stomach cancer, and the tears flowed like a river down my fat face. I ain't afraid to shed tears (but rarely will people see that from me).

5) Describe your favorite meal?

My favorite meal is two-cheese lasagna with ground turkey beef and Italian sausage. It's like an orgasm in your mouth with every bite and chew.